I recall the very first time I went to a Christmas party that hosted a numbered gift exchange. I must have been effectually the age of viii and it was at my mom's piece of work. The party was in a very large conference room and we were all sitting around the perimeter of the room. Information technology was so exciting to see new gifts opened, old ones stolen and make my mental "I wish I had that" list. Then time stopped equally one souvenir was revealed. It was amazing. Christmas carols played in my head. Information technology was the about perfect gift, ever…no exceptions. I was then excited. I was so excited. I was so excited. Panic slowly ready in equally it came closer to my number. Would I overcome the paralysis of elation that had invaded my body? When it was my turn, as if in a dream, I floated across the room grabbed my prize and ran back to my seat in utter victory. Information technology was mine! My mind chop-chop played reels of future memories of me, grin, skipping, singing and interacting with my new possession. I sat so absorbed in my own world of gaeity that I was oblivious to the continuation of the game. A few minutes later the sugar plums dancing in my head were stopped. The "Hallelujah" Chorus silenced. The dream died. Someone stole my souvenir (being 8 this hadn't fifty-fifty occurred to me) and stole my heart. I could hear a crowd of voices encouraging me to continue to game. They seemed afar. I was dejected. I don't even recall what happened adjacent. I must take gotten another gift, but really, in a world this cruel what was the betoken…I sunk further and further into my thoughts and watched disconnected as the evening progressed. The party concluded and I headed to the car with my mom and brother. The adjacent affair I remember is angels singing from the sky when my dad showed upwardly with MY gift. I don't know what kind of serious gift negotiation he pulled off, but whatever he did changed the course of my life because I was sitting in the backseat of the motorcar dreaming of a better life with a bag full of water and one goldfish on my lap.

Kids Activities Blog is Holly'south blogging home.

She is the co-writer of 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Ever! and The 101 Coolest Simple Scientific discipline Experiments.

She is the mom of three boys ages thirteen, 15 & 17 who partially homeschools. She believes that you shouldn't have to buy stuff to have fun when in that location is a kitchen junk drawer full of possibilities.